So Harry Potter in a nonmagical setting? In the 1930s?
Seriously make Snape a Jew working with the Nazi's and the plot works perfectly... or have magic involved and the veil in place and Snape convincing people its pointless for them to actually watch Harry die... insert Harry and snakes having long talks about hating the Snape tool while he works out how to actually get out of the pit this time. Snape as a double agent that is using his possition to annoy the Spawn of James Potter endlessly while keeping the Nazi's from getting anywhere (just barely). Or Snape as a field agent, occult adviser for Nazi archeology that stays around while the Nazi in charge cannon fodders himself and his unit. Snape is smart and useful... but such a tool and so dickish that by the time things are coming a head in any particular instance they ignore him and get themselves killed.
The thing is Snape actually likes landscapes (no miserable dunderheads in them to mock him) and bought a young Hilter's work. Between this and him actually being qualified for the job he is unfirable... and still Snape. For extra fun have him annoy Indiana Jones on other missions.
Seriously make Snape a Jew working with the Nazi's and the plot works perfectly... or have magic involved and the veil in place and Snape convincing people its pointless for them to actually watch Harry die... insert Harry and snakes having long talks about hating the Snape tool while he works out how to actually get out of the pit this time. Snape as a double agent that is using his possition to annoy the Spawn of James Potter endlessly while keeping the Nazi's from getting anywhere (just barely). Or Snape as a field agent, occult adviser for Nazi archeology that stays around while the Nazi in charge cannon fodders himself and his unit. Snape is smart and useful... but such a tool and so dickish that by the time things are coming a head in any particular instance they ignore him and get themselves killed.
The thing is Snape actually likes landscapes (no miserable dunderheads in them to mock him) and bought a young Hilter's work. Between this and him actually being qualified for the job he is unfirable... and still Snape. For extra fun have him annoy Indiana Jones on other missions.